Grass mowing machines for golf courses and other grass or turf fields where a high quality of cut is required typically use one or more cutting reels with seven, eleven or a similar number of spiral blades on a horizontal shaft. Each blade cuts grass by rotating in very close proximity to a horizontal, stationary bed knife. On many such grass mowing machines including fairway mowers, riding greens mowers and walk behind greens mowers, the shaft of each cutting reel is rotated using a hydrostatic motor or electric motor. However, the motor may not provide sufficient torque to start rotating the reel if it becomes stuck. For example, the reel may be stuck because of rust or because the cutting blade and/or bed knife is clogged with excessive debris, thatch, clippings or other material.
If the cutting reel is stuck and does not start to rotate, the operator may need to take action to clear the reels and prevent damage to the reel motor. For example, the operator may try to restart the reel by manually cycling the system several times. However, if the reel remains stuck after manually cycling the system, the operator may need to clean the reel or remove the material from the reel by hand. To do this safely, the operator should shut off the engine, power take off (PTO) and/or power to the reel motor controller.
A system to clear stuck reels is needed that is efficient and does not reduce productivity when attempting to start. A system to clear stuck reels is needed that is safe, fast, effective, and does not require operator intervention.